North & South Island - 15 nights

Highlights: Unsurpassed beauty combined with an all pervading sense of romance and adventure. View the whales at Kaikoura or romance in the stark terrains of Doubtful Sound. Drive through the Canterbury plains where snow capped mountains tower over the conifers or marvel at thermal kitchens of Whakarewarewa.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrive in Auckland and private transfer to hotel in Auckland (1 hr approx from airport).
Overnight at Auckland.  The rental car will be delivered at the hotel.

Day 2: Auckland to Rotorua  - 4 hrs (give Waitomo caves a miss as the Te Anau glow worm caves in South Island are better)
Overnight at Rotorua.

Day 3: Overnight at Rotorua.

Day 4: Drop car at Rotorua airport and board flight for Queenstown. Pick up another car from airport counter and drive to your hotel in Lake Wanaka (1.5 hrs). Overnight at Lake Wanaka.

Day 5: In the afternoon drive to Queenstown. Overnight at Queenstown.

Day 6: Overnight at Queenstown.

Day 7: Queenstown to Te Anau (2.5 hrs), overnight stay at Te Anau, a lovely lakeside village. 

Day 8: Drive to a point (30 mins to Manapouri), park your car, transfer by ferry to an island and board the Doubtful Sound Cruise - overnight on Cruise ship with dinner.

Day 9: Breakfast on board the cruise ship. Dis-embark from ship, you will be dropped back to your car parking point. Pick up car and later depart for Dunedin (4 to 5 hrs).  Overnight at Dunedin.

Day 10: Overnight at Dunedin.

Day 11: Dunedin to Mt. Cook (5hrs drive). Overnight at Mt. Cook.

Day 12: Mt. Cook to Lake Tekapo (1.5 hrs) . 

Day 13: Lake Tekapo to Christchurch and drive onward to Kaikoura (4 to 5 hrs). Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo before travelling across the Canterbury Plains to arrive in Christchurch and drive onward to Kaikoura. Overnight at Kaikoura.

Day 14: Kaikoura whale watch in the morning and later return to your hotel in Kaikoura. 

Day 15: Return to Christchurch in the evening via Hanmer Springs and alpine spa town (5 hrs via Hanmer) . Overnight at Christchurch

Day 16: Drop rental car at car office, walk to the hotel. You will be picked up from hotel and dropped to Christchurch airport.

INCLUSIONS FOR NORTH AND SOUTH ISLAND TOUR

* Return Airport transfers on first and last day of tour. 
* Self Drive option: Unlimited kms and basic insurance
* Accommodation as mentioned above using requisite hotels as per choice.
* Meals: Daily American Breakfast at your hotel. Superior & First Class hotel options: Dinner at Mt. Cook
* Excursions: Rotorua: Seat in coach sightseeing tour including entry to Agrodome, Te Puia Thermal Reserve and Rainbow springs;
Kaikoura: Whale Watch cruise, self drive to Kaikoura; Te Anau: Glow Worm Caves, self drive; Doubtful Sound: Overnight cruise (1 night) with dinner and breakfast. 
* Self Drive option: As per car choices mentioned below

PACKAGE COSTS: PER PERSON IN NZD VALID TILL SEP”08